Steam driven road vehicle

ABSTRACT

A steam driven road vehicle having a firebox, a boiler, a drive mechanism operated by steam from the boiler, a water supply supplying water to the boiler, and a drive connection connected between the drive mechanism and an axle of the vehicle. A fuel bin is supported by the vehicle frame holds a supply of fuel to be fed to the firebox. A power driven conveyor conveys fuel from the fuel bin to the firebox. An electrical system is made up of a plug-in element which connects with an electric source, and a preheating element on the boiler for producing preheat in the boiler. A heat control device controls the temperature of the output of the preheating element, and a time control device is arranged to energize the preheating element prior to driving the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to steam driven road vehicles and moreparticularly to a steam driven automobile utilizing microwave heatingmeans.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A steam driven automobile was first developed in the early 1900's andmade popular at that time by the Stanley brothers who produced and soldthe Stanley Steamer. Others improved the technology and the product wasquiet and powerful. Since the automobile could go up to 120 miles perhour, many thought that this would be the automobile of the future. Thenthe internal combustion engine was developed which could be started in afraction of the time it took to fire up a steam car. Thus the steam carwas abandoned and the internal combustion engine became the backbone ofthe automobile industry.

Steam was ultimately made the power supply of choice in the locomotiveindustry where the starting time was mainly irrelevant. Abner Dobledeveloped the E Series Doble Steamer, and he claimed his car would startin 23 seconds and could achieve 40 miles per hour 13 seconds later. ThePaxton Company continued to work on team locomotion into the 1950's butprobably never produced a car for sale.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan schematic view of the fundamental structure andcomponents of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is plan schematic view of another embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 of the drawings shows the basic chassis of an automobileincorporating the present inventive features including an igniter 10, acombustion chamber 12, a diesel fuel tank 14, a water reservoir 16, aflash boiler 18, a steam engine 20, and a combustion boiler 28.

The electrical portion of the invention includes a bank of batteries 22,a microwave unit 24, a battery recharging plug 26, and a microwave 28.

The temperature probe in the boiler controls the microwave so that whenthe car is not in use for a short period, a temperature is kept near theboiling point so the car can make an almost immediate start. A radiosignal (handheld unit) can turn the microwave and thus shorten the timeto bring the car to power after the driver is behind the wheel. Use ofthe microwave unit to provide heat for the boiler reduces the number ofbatteries normally required for an electric vehicle since the microwavedoes not require a great deal of electrical power for the start.

The car has a secondary fuel source. The boiler is used for longer tripsand is fired by diesel fuel. The movement of the car and braking actionrecharges the batteries 22 thus permitting the car to operate on shorttrips around town in the microwave mode which is a noiseless andpollution mode. When using diesel fuel, it is possible to use bio-dieselmade largely from soybean oil and very friendly to the environment.Bio-diesel can be used alone or in combination with hydrocarbon dieselwhich is in plentiful supply. The use of condensers will enable therecapture of water from steam thus reducing the need to car largeamounts of water.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the steam driven vehicle. Before thecar can be driven, the water tank 30 must be filled, the diesel fueltank 32 must be filled, and the array of batteries 34 must be charged.

The switch 36 operating the pump 38 that takes water to the flash boiler40 is turned on and the microwave gun 42 and the heating coils 44 areactivated. Pressures in flash boiler 40 will reach 650 psi, and pump 38must be able to match that pressure. Pump 38 also acts as a block tokeep boiler pressures from feeding back into water tank 30. Flash boiler40 is the first power source to be activated, and it is this power thatmoves the car on short trips. In this phase, combustion boiler 46 isinactive.

The combination of heating coils 44 and microwave gun 42 can bring thewater in flash boiler 40 to steam in seconds. This can be assisted by adevice on the driver's key chain (not shown) that can emit a radiosignal that will turn on the two heating sources before the driverenters the car. Heating coils 44 will use more electricity thanmicrowave gun 42. When operating pressures are reached, heating coils 44are turned off to conserve power, and steam will then be made solely bymicrowave gun 42.

Steam at 650 psi drives a steam turbine or a steam piston engine, bothdesignated as 48. Since water usage must be kept within reasonablegrounds, a condenser 50 has been designed to surround engine 48. Assteam moves past the fins of engine 48, the pressure on the other sideof the fins lowers the efficiency of engine 48. Condenser 50 completelyencapsulates engine 48 to help to increase efficiency. Reducing spentsteam to water will create a partial vacuum on the spent steam side ofengine 48 and the resulting lower pressure will allow the steam on theopposite side of the engine fins to be more effective. By preventingsteam from escaping from condenser 50, water conservation is enhanced.

As engine 48 drives the automobile, a battery charger 52 is activatedand batteries 34 are kept fully charged. This requires boiler 46 to alsobe used.

For a longer trip or to keep batteries 34 charged, combustion boiler 46is activated by switching on water pump 50 with switch 54 that servesboiler 46 and by switching on the igniter 58 that will fire the flamesthat heat this boiler. While boiler 46 is coming up to full pressure,flash boiler 40 continues to operate but is turned off once it is nolonger needed. The dual pump system is a safety precaution. If one pumpgoes out, or some other part of the system fails, the remaining systemis capable of moving the car.

The float valve 60 in water tank 30 activates a gauge that indicates lowwater. Float valve 60 in diesel tank 32 does the same thing to indicatelow fuel. A float valve 62 in condenser chamber 50 activates a pump 64that takes water from condenser 50 to water tank 30.

Other techniques may be used to make microwave gun 42 more efficient. Asteam turbine engine or a steam piston engine (either designated as 48)may be used as an effective motor power source.

When the automobile is using only flash boiler 40 and is powered only byelectricity, it is in the most effective environmental mode. When engine48 is using diesel fuel, it can also have a significant favorableenvironmental impact by using bio-diesel fuel. This also has the greatadvantage of not being dependent on foreign hydrocarbon fuel.

The steam car is a quiet vehicle and, as described, is simple enough tobe easily repaired and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Sinceits operating pressures are at 650 psi or less and the fluid upon whichthese pressures are exerted is only water, the vehicle has safetyfeatures well beyond the hydrogen powered vehicles which involvecompressing hydrogen to pressures up to 10,000 psi. The infrastructurerequired to support this mode of transportation is already in place.Bio-diesel fuel is interchangeable with hydrocarbon diesel, and thelatter is already marketed on a broad basis. The hydrogen infrastructureis far more complex.

From the proceeding description, it can be seen that a steam drivenautomobile has been provided that will meet all of the advantages ofprior art devices and offer additional advantages not heretoforeavailable. With respect to the foregoing invention, the optimumdimensional relationship to the parts of the invention includingvariations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner ofoperation, use and assembly are deemed readily apparent to those skilledin the art, and all equivalent relationships illustrated in the drawingsand described in the specification are intended to be encompassedherein.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Numerous modifications and changes will occur to thoseskilled in the art, and it is not desired to limit the invention to theexact construction and operation shown and described. All suitablemodifications and equipments that fall within the scope of the appendedclaims are deemed within the present inventive concept.

1. A motor vehicle powered by electricity or combustion eithersingularly or in combination, the vehicle comprising: a flash boiler; aquantity of water; battery means; a microwave unit; heating coils, themicrowave unit and the heating coils being powered by the battery meansto heat water in the flash boiler until a predetermined boiler pressureis achieved, a required level of steam is developed and the heatingcoils are deactivated; and a condenser system converting spent steaminto water and thereby lowering the quantity of water needed to becarried by the vehicle.
 2. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1 furthercomprising: means for activating the flash boiler before the driverenters the vehicle to initiate the generation of steam at apredetermined time before the vehicle is entered and started.
 3. Thevehicle as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: temperature sensingelements indicating the temperature in the flash boiler and programmedto keep the microwave unit in an active state and maintaining watertemperature near boiling to reduce the time for restarting the vehicleafter it has been temporarily parked.
 4. The vehicle as claimed in claim2 further comprising: temperature sensing elements indicating thetemperature in the flash boiler and programmed to keep the microwaveunit in an active state and maintaining water temperature near boilingto reduce the time for restarting the vehicle after it has beentemporarily parked.
 5. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein thewater converted from the spent steam is returned to the water supply. 6.The vehicle as claimed in claim 2 wherein the water converted from thespent steam is returned to the water supply.
 7. The vehicle as claimedin claim 3 wherein the water converted from the spent steam is returnedto the water supply.
 8. The vehicle as claimed in claim 3 wherein thewater converted from the spent steam is returned to the water supply. 9.A steam driven road vehicle comprising: a frame; wheel means supportingthe frame on the ground including a drive axle; a firebox, steam boilerand condenser supported on the frame; steam powered drive means on thevehicle operated by steam from the boiler; a water supply systemsupplying water to the boiler; drive connection means connected betweenthe power drive means and the drive axle; a fuel bin on the framearranged to hold a supply of fuel for feeding to the firebox; first andsecond means connected between the fuel bin and firebox for selectivelyconveying fuel from the fuel bin to the firebox, the first meanscomprising a power driven conveyor and the second means comprising agravity fed chute; an electrical system in the vehicle including plug-inmeans arranged for detachable connection to a conventional 240 voltcircuit; an electrical preheating element on the boiler connected in anwith said electrical system for producing preheat in the boiler; heatcontrol means in the electrical system controlling the temperature ofoutput of the preheating element; and time control means in theelectrical system arranged to energize the preheating element at apreset time prior to driving the vehicle.